Dark Magic
by BloodlinesFan
Summary: Post TIS. Sydney is delving deeper into her magic but it proves to have devastating consequences. Adrian is also having some trouble with Spirit darkness and tries to fight it. Can they get through it together or will the magic come between them?
1. Chapter 1

**This story is Post TIS. I wanted Hopper involved in the story, lol. So here's the story (in 1st POV). Hope you guys like it. :)**

I groaned and rolled over in my bed. I was feeling terrible; not like I was getting sick. It wasn't a physical feeling. It was mental. I was mentally fatigued and I could feel a headache coming on. I got out of bed and headed towards the shower. Nothing like a shower to ease the tension out of me.

As I stood in the shower, letting the water cascade over me, I thought of everything that had recently happened. And a lot had happened; sometimes it felt like it was all a dream. But I knew it wasn't. I felt changed, a different person. I scrubbed shampoo into my hair letting myself succumb to the lathering feel of it.

When I got out of the shower, I began my daily routine of fixing my hair. Everything was the same except for one little detail; my sister. She was still sound asleep and I took a moment to look at her. She was lying on her right side so I could see the newly inked tattoo emblazoned on her left cheek. The sunlight that came through the window made it glitter; almost like it was mocking me.

_Hey, look at me, _it seemed to say. _Look at how you couldn't save your sister from the Alchemists. Now she's as trapped as you are. _

I turn away and look at the mirror hanging above my drawer. I looked exhausted; I felt exhausted. I automatically begin the process of blow drying my hair. I hear my sister get up out of bed and groggily make her way towards the shower. I hear her turn the shower on and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

Zoe had arrived yesterday and no one knew that she was here yet. It was going to be a shock to Jill, Angeline and Eddie, that was for sure. It was already enough with Neil, the new guardian, being here. But another Alchemist? And my sister, at that.

Thinking of the gang made me think of Adrian and our wonderful day yesterday. It was spectacular and I should have known that it wouldn't have lasted long. I just thought we'd have longer than a day.

My phone rang drawing me out of my melancholy thoughts. I brightened, though, when I saw who the caller was.

"Adrian!" My voice sounded all breathless and excited, nothing like me at all. He chuckled on the other line.

"Hey, Sage. Missed you too."

I blushed, but otherwise ignored it. I had to tell him about Zoe. The thought brought a frown to my face and I glanced towards the bathroom. It was still closed and I could hear the water running.

"Adrian, we have a slight problem." I had my professional voice on, which made Adrian groan.

"What problem? You're not having second thoughts about us are you?" I was mildly offended that he thought I was backing out, even though it was understandable. I did spend the majority of these past few weeks pushing him away and giving excuses as to why we couldn't be together.

"Of course not," I said. "It's my sister."

"Your sister?" he asked. "Is she alright?"

I laughed bitterly. "Yeah, she's fine. She's actually here as an Alchemist."

There was a stretch of silence on the other end of the phone. I was beginning to worry he wasn't going to answer, or worse, hang up when he finally answered. And he sounded concerned.

"Are you alright?" It touched me that he was concerned about my well being.

"Of course I'm not," I told him honestly. "I didn't want this for her, Adrian. I did everything I could to protect her from the Alchemists. Guess it didn't matter in the end."

"I'm sorry, Sage," he said earnestly.

We stayed quiet and I suddenly remembered something.

"I was actually gonna call you. Hopper needs to stay with you since Zoe's here. And I was wondering if I could keep all my magic books and material at your apartment?"

I waited anxiously for his answer, fearing he was going to say no.

"Of course," he said causing me to sigh in relief. "I've missed our darling love child." That brought a smile to my face.

"Yeah, I think he's missed his father too. He was crying all night; thank God Zoe's a deep sleeper. I still had to turn him into a rock, though."

"I actually think it's the pie he misses," said Adrian in mock hurt.

"I think you're right," I replied seriously causing him to shout, "Hey!"

The bathroom door slammed open and I jumped.

"Gotta go," I told Adrian in my Alchemist voice.

I heard him sigh sadly over the phone and felt my heart clench in response.

"We're going to have to be extra careful, aren't we?" he asked.

I almost laugh, or cry, I don't know. Instead, I just say, "We'll be at Clarence's this evening."

"I'll be there. I love you." I don't know what to say, so I just hang up. I look at the phone and groan.

"Everything alright?" asked Zoe changing into the Amberwood uniform.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Who was that?" she asked. She didn't suspicious, but then again my social cues were nonexistent.

"Adrian Ivashkov," I said, making sure my voice sounded nonchalant. "He just wanted to know if we were going to Clarence's after school today for the feeding."

I was putting on my makeup and saw her flinch out of the corner of my eye.

"Why would he care?" she asked with more of a bite in her voice than she probably intended. I think the mention of "feeding" put her on edge.

I sighed. "He's shadowkissed to Jill and they have to be around each other for the bond to..."

I trailed off and hoped she didn't question it any further, which she didn't, to my relief. We finished getting ready and headed to the cafeteria. The closer we got, the more nervous Zoe became. Even though I was furious that she was an Alchemist, my anger wasn't towards her. It was at the Alchemists, especially our father. I gave her a reassuring smile which she ignored looking around with wide, frightful eyes.

I led her towards the table that Jill, Eddie, Angeline and Neil were currently occupying. Jill Mastrano was a Moroi, the alive and good kind of vampire. Not like the undead Strigoi who were evil and had red eyes. She had the lean figure that all Moroi had, and big green eyes that seemed wide on her face. Eddie, Angeline and Neil were dhamphirs, half-vampire half-human, and they protected the Moroi from the Strigois. Eddie played my twin brother and we actually sort of looked alike with our light blonde hair. He had hazel eyes though, whereas mine were light brown. Angeline had long auburn hair and had the hard physique of dhamphirs. Neil, the newcomer, had black hair and blue eyes and was strangely tall for a dhamphir. They smiled at my arrival, except for Neil who kept that stoic guardian expression, and they turned towards Zoe curiously. They couldn't see her tattoo because I made her cover her up which of course made her pout and whine until she gave in.

"This is Zoe Sage, my sister. She's been assigned here as another Alchemist. She's going to be our cousin," I said, keeping my voice and expression neutral. Eddie's and Angeline's smiles vanished as they took in my sister in that guardian way of theirs. Jill didn't react, except for a small frown, and I suspected that she already knew through the bond.

"Zoe, this is Jill Mastrano and her guardians Eddie Castile, Angeline Dawes and Neil Raymond," I said pointing to each one, glad I remembered Neil's last name. Zoe gave a stiff nod and didn't make eye contact. I frowned; she could at least be polite. Her reaction reminded me of Keith's.

I sat down and Zoe sat next to me closely, too closely for comfort. Eddie noticed and raised an eyebrow in my direction. I shake my head slightly and mouthed 'later'.

"Why'd they send another Alchemist?" asked Neil, to my surprise. "Is she replacing you?"

I knew he meant it curiously, but I felt myself get angry at his words.

"No," I said sharply. To soften the blow, I gave him a polite smile. "No, I'm still the Alchemist in charge. She's just here for her internship."

Neil nodded and then surveyed the cafeteria. Jill and Angeline were talking about some teacher and were trying to coax Zoe in their conversation, but Zoe made it abundantly clear that she was not interested by blatantly ignoring them. I was shocked; Zoe was the kindest person I knew and she was brushing them off coldly.

Eddie, along with Neil, was silent but unlike Neil, he was observing my sister. He knew her presence here wasn't good, but thankfully kept his observation to himself. The bell rang and everyone went their separate ways, except for me and Eddie. We had the same class but he was thankfully quiet on the walk to the class. We headed towards our first class, which was ancient history, and I sat in my regular seat. Eddie sat by me. Trey Juarez, a friend and former Warrior of Light was already in his seat by the front of the room. He was the teacher's aide and was usually filing papers. The Warriors of Light were a savage group that were once a part of the Alchemists but had broken off from our group in the Middle Ages. They were much more brutal in their attempt to... help the humans than the Alchesmists. Where the Alchemists were civilized, the Warriors were not.

Trey gave me a nod but didn't look at me. I frowned before remembering; he and Angeline had had a secret hook up which resulted in Angeline's and Eddie's breakup. I didn't want to think how awkward that must be. And how painful. Eddie hadn't seemed upset over breakfast, but the arrival of my sister must have distracted him.

Ms. Terwilliger strolled into the room in that grandiose way of hers in her hippie attire. As she started the lesson, I let my mind wander. Zoe being here definitely complicated things. What I wanted to know is why Stanton sent her and not an experienced Alchemist? It didn't make sense. When I had called Stanton I had to lie and tell her that I didn't think Jill felt safe enough, which explained Neil's presence. And then I had to go and open my big mouth and say that it felt like too much sometimes.

Which was a lie, of course but Stanton had delivered. I just didn't understand _why_ my sister.

Eddie nudged me with his elbow causing me to jump slightly. I glared at him and he pointed towards the front of the room where Ms. Terwiliiger was looking at me with a expectant expression. I flushed slightly.

"Well, Ms. Melbourne?" she asked. A few of the kids snickered around me and I felt like cowering in my seat. Instead, I drew myself up to full height and asked her to repeat the question. She did and I answered but she continued to watch me with an unreadable expression.

The rest of the period passed with no incident and before I knew it class ended. I gathered my things and walked to the door but before I could escape, Ms. Terwilliger called me to stay behind.

"I have to get to my next class, ma'am," I said, smiling but I think it came out as more of a grimace.

"Nonsense," she waved. "I'll give you a pass to excuse you. I need you to run an errand for me."

I was shocked. Ms. Terwilliger was a persistent and demanding woman who usually grated on my nerves, though I knew she was only looking out for me. She always sent me on errands- usually for coffee- but that was during my own time. Never during school!

"Ma'am, school is still going on. I can't just drop everything because you need your coffee fix!" I didn't bother hiding my irritation.

She merely scoffed and said, "I am not sending you on a coffee errand. I need you to go to the public library and pick up a book for me that I have requested. It finally came in after weeks of waiting. Honestly, the wait for that book was so long I nearly forgot about it. I should send in a complaint," she added as an afterthought.

"Can't it wait until after school?" I asked. It would make me a few minutes late to Clarence's but it was better than ditching school. Even though I had permission.

"I'm afraid not," she said gravely. The tone of her voice sent me on edge. "I heard that your sister was here, another Alchemist, and I'm guessing it's going to be difficult to meet and practice. So, you'll have to practice on your own, which is why you need to get the book now and start practicing as soon as you can."

How she knew my sister was here, was beyond me. Instead I grudgingly accepted the note she held out for me and left. I headed towards the student parking lot, after showing Ms. Weathers my excused note, and headed towards my new car. The Alchemists had acquired it after the unfortunate passing of Latte. It was a murky orange color and it was a van. Nothing special, just a regular honda. It made me miss Latte even more.

After starting the car, I headed to the public library which took all of fifty minutes. Almost an hour! Cursing Ms. Terwilliger yet again, for making me waste gas on this rather pointless trip, I got out of the car and headed in. It was a small, yet comfy, library. The air conditioner was on, which cooled me down considerably. I walked up to the front desk and told the guy that I had a book on hold in the name of Ms. Terwilliger. As I waited for the overly helpful college student, I looked around.

When he came back, with a huge friendly smile on his face, I grabbed the book and headed back. At this rate, I'll be back at school by lunch. Hopefully.

As I drove back to school, I couldn't help looking at the book. It was titled "Magia" which was in Latin. In English it meant Magic. It wasn't impressive, but on the receipt it said it was "The Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. I wondered if there was some sort of concealment charm that made it look like that to normal humans.

I made it back to school right as the school bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. I didn't want to walk to my dorm room to put the book away, so I put it in my bag. I strolled towards the cafeteria and searched for the group. I found them at the same table from this morning. Zoe was already there looking miserable. I sighed; I guess it was too much to ask for a change in attitude.

I was intercepted halfway there by Kristen and Julia ,however, and they dragged me to another table. I gave an apologetic smile to Zoe, but to my surprise and annoyance she got up and walked over.

She set her tray down and gave a smile towards Julia and Kristen.

"Who's this?" asked Julia curiously.

"My cousin," I said remembering our cover story.

Kristen whistled. "Your family's taking over the school." I rolled my eyes at her teasing.

"I'm Zoe," said my sister giving them an earnest smile. Of course; they're humans. They keep up a constant stream of conversation that I couldn't bring myself to listen to. I looked back at the group and wished I was there. I loved the crazy random topics we would talk about. And I would have liked to get to know Neil better, seeing as how he was going to be part of the 'family' now.

The bell rang, dismissing us to the last class of the day. I entered my last class and it passed by in a flash. I ran to my dorm room and grabbed Hopper's cage, making sure the blanket covered him. I also grabbed a few of my books -magic books- and leave the dorm.

I walk towards the student parking lot and find everyone already there. Eddie helps me with the books and Neil offers with the cage. I refuse but thank him. We all gather in and the drive to Clarence's is a awkward and quiet affair. It's a relief to be at Clarence's and I hop out of the car-which I still have yet to name- and I see that Adrian is already there. His yellow mustang- which I proudly named The Ivashkinator- was parked. It was a beauty and I'm not embarrassed to admit that I was completely smitten with it.

As a group we head to the door and there he is, looking too good to be true, opening the door. He has a green button down shirt that makes his eyes impossibly greener. He has black jeans on that look a bit worn that look snug and comfy. His hair is in complete disarray, of course.

"Hey, Jailbait," he said, giving her a quick hug. " Castile, Angel." He nodded towards them and then looked at Neil with a confused expression. I almost smacked myself. I had forgotten to mention him to Adrian.

"This is Neil Raymond. Neil, this is Adrian Ivashkov," I said quickly introducing them.

Neil nodded and said, "I'm sorry to hear about your Aunt. She was a great Queen."

Adrian's smile faltered for a bit before he stuck out his hand. They nodded and then Adrian turned towards me and my sister who was almost cowering behind me.

"Sage," he said giving me a smile. Then he turned towards Zoe.

"You must be Zoe Sage. You're as beautiful as your sister. Must run in the family," he said winningly. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. I heard Eddie scoff and Jill giggle.

Zoe didn't look moved by the compliment. Huh? She seemed unfazed by Adrian's charms. Probably the only person to ever resist him. Instead she gave him a considering look and walked inside without saying anything. I sighed, dismayed, though I didn't really expect any better.

"I don't think my charm have ever been ignored before," said Adrian in mock dismay. This time I did roll my eyes and pushed passed him, mainly to get out of the heat.

He followed and we all gathered in the living room. I didn't see Jill, so I assumed she was already with Dorothy... feeding. I felt a slight shiver run through me at that. I may be dating a vampire, but the thought of feeding still kind of scared me.

Clarence was a pleasant old man and he struck up a energetic conversation with Neil. Neil looked understandably uncomfortable and it was the most expression I had seen from him since his arrival. Eddie was listening into the conversation with amusement. Angeline was on the other side of the room wondering around, and I had a inkling that it was too be as far away from Eddie as possible.

Maybe she felt guilty? Or embarrassed? It was hard to tell with her sometimes. Zoe was on the recliner next to me absorbing our surroundings with wary eyes. And Adrian...

He was across from me, lounging lazily on the couch. He was watching my sister cautiously. Then, as if he could sense my eyes on him, he turned and winked. I glared at him pointedly, to remind him to behave, and he laughed. Then he pointed towards the kitchen and left.

I looked at Zoe but she was staring at Clarence. I got up and she snapped her head towards me.

"I have to talk with Adrian," I explained feeling slightly guilty. "I'll be right back." She didn't ask to come, thankfully.

I walked through the kitchen door and was immediately wrapped in Adrian's warm embrace. I sighed, letting myself bask in his steady presence before pulling away.

He let me go but brought his hand up to my face and cupped it in his hands.

"Hey," he said gently.

"Hey," I said quietly. He chuckled and brought his lips down to mine for a brief, yet consuming, kiss. I should have pushed back- Zoe was in the room next door- but I let myself be irresponsible for a few minutes. Wasn't that what normal eighteen year old's did with their boyfriends?

_Normal teenagers wouldn't have to hide their relationship in the first place,_ reminded a voice inside my head. I sighed and pulled back.

"I brought Hopper and the books. They're in the car," I said.

"Okay," he said giving me another brief kiss before pulling back. I walked out the room and he followed. I told Zoe where we were going and went and grabbed the books and Hopper with Adrian. We brought the stuff over to his car and he put it all in his trunk.

"Don't forget Hopper when you get home," I reminded him.

"I won't," he smiled. "But you should probably uncharm him so I could feed him."

I'd almost forgotten that I had turned him into stone. I quickly chanted the spell and Hopper unfroze and began crawling around his cage. He looked up at us and began clawing the bars. He looked up at us with huge, pleading eyes.

"No," I said sternly.

Adrian chuckled. "Don't be so stern, Sage. He just wants his parents."

"I know. Don't spoil him." I walked back towards the house and heard Adrian close the trunk and catch up with me.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied. We entered the house and I saw that Jill was back. We hung around for a while before heading back to the school before curfew. I was surprised that Zoe had refrained from saying anything rude considering how she'd been this morning.

Everyone headed towards their dorm rooms and Zoe walked with me, silently. I couldn't take the silence any longer and asked her what was wrong. She didn't say anything until we reached the room.

She put her hand on the handle, looked back at me, and said, "They act so human. Like they have a right to be around humans. And that makes them worse than I thought. It gives me new appreciation for our job. We're helping the human race from that evil. It gives our life purpose. " And with that declaration that left me stupefied and infuriated, she walked into the room and left me standing in the hallway.

Where did my little sister go? The one who saw the good in people and who was so kind and nice. I shook my head and entered the room.

Seems like I wasn't the only one who had changed.

**Please read and review. Please give me honest feedback. I know that not much happened here, but this is just the structure of the story. (:**


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up the next morning proved to be difficult. I was wrapped tightly around my blankets and had to struggle to get out of them. When I finally did, I saw that Zoe wasn't in her bed. I frowned and strained to listen if she was in the shower. There was no water running so I assumed she left early. For what reason, I had no idea.

I changed out of my pajamas into my school uniform and was out the door in record time. The day passed in a breeze and soon I was heading to Ms. Terwilliger's classroom for my last class of the day. It was an independent study because I already knew five languages and didn't want to go over the basics of it again. So instead, I learned how to do magic-mostly by transcribing from books- although, recently I have been learning magic with a hands on approach.

However, when I got to the room I found that it was locked and there was no sign of anyone occupying it. Weird. Even though I was going to have to practice on my own now since my sister was here, I had thought that we would still have these independent study sessions. Guess I was wrong.

I headed to my room and decided to get my homework out of the way. Once I accomplished that, and had nothing else to do, I took out the spell book I picked up from the library yesterday. I ran my fingertip along the spine of the book. It didn't look like some ancient spell book; it looked ordinary.

I picked up the receipt again and saw that it still said "Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. I frowned; there must be some kind of spell concealing it to the human eye.

Almost without my permission, I set my hand upon the book and closed my eyes. I let my mind blank-which is a hard feat for me since I'm constantly thinking- and felt the magic stir within me. I concentrated harder and then I felt it; the briefest touch of a charm, most likely a concealment one, and opened my eyes.

The book didn't appear affected my magic. I opened the book and bits of dust drafted into the air causing me to sneeze. It may not have been ancient but it obviously hadn't been opened in a long time.

I was absorbed by the book. It was nothing like the magic that Ms. Terwilliger had been teaching me. These spells were powerful; I could tell by just reading about them. My hands itched to try them out but I couldn't. Zoe could walk in at any moment and I wasn't about to explain why I had a pot of herbs boiling.

So I contented myself with reading until I got to an interesting spell that gave me pause. It was titled "Anima Transuero" which roughly translated to "Reversal of the Soul". It gave me an uneasy feeling, one that I didn't want to look to closely too.

My thoughts were interrupted by Zoe entering the room. She shut the door behind her and collapsed on her bed. I shut the book and slid it under my bed, keeping my expression neutral.

"I didn't see you all day. Where were you?" I asked her. It was true; I hadn't even seen her at lunch.

"I don't have the same schedule as you. I'm a Freshman, remember?"

"Then where were you at lunch?" I asked.

"With Kristen and Julia," she said, shrugging. "We hung outside instead of the cafeteria."

"Why?" I asked. I didn't really care but it seemed like the appropriate thing to ask.

"I didn't want to sit by those monsters or even see them. It's bad enough I have English with the Moroi girl and History with that savage Dhamphir. I don't want to have lunch with them, too. What if they decide to eat us instead?"

I knew she didn't really mean that last part but it was hard to keep my frustration at bay. Instead of letting my irritation show, I said mildly, "Dhamphirs don't drink blood."

"Doesn't make them any less evil," she pointed out. I sighed softly, too quiet for her ears, and said I was going to sleep. She looked up in surprise.

"It's barely six." I looked at the clock and saw that she was right.

"Then I'm headed to the library." I couldn't stand to stay another moment, not if she was going to slander the people I've come to call my friends. "I'll be back before curfew."

"Okay," she said. "Can I go to Julia's and Kristen's room?"

I was surprised but nodded. I guess she wanted human company.

I made my way to the library and on my way there I saw Neil. I didn't want him to see me so I kept my head low. Unfortunately, he did and called out to me. He jogged over to me and asked me a surprising question.

"Where's your sister? The Alchemist?"

I didn't really know why he wanted to know and I asked him.

"She said some hurtful things to the princess and my duty is to keep her safe from anything and anyone."

I was shocked. Sure, Zoe had told me what she thought of them last night and even today, but I never thought she would say anything to them. Especially sweet, innocent Jill.

"What did she say?" I demanded.

Neil looked a bit uncomfortable but did as I said. When he finished, I had half a mind to go over to Julia's and Kristen's room and drag my sister out of there and have a few words with her. And I wanted to make her apologize but knew there was no way she'd ever do that.

Instead I asked, "Where's Jill?"

"She's in her room with Angeline. Eddie's there too." I nodded. Of course Eddie would be there, guardian or not.

"What were you doing out here?" I asked him.

"Looking for the younger Alchemist and you."

"Oh, well thanks for telling me. I'll go check on Jill and talk to Zoe later tonight."

He nodded and walked away. I rubbed a hand down my face warily and spun on my heel towards Jill's dormitory. _No rest for the wicked,_ as they say.

When I reached her dorm I wondered if I should knock or not. I decided not to and opened the door. Eddie sprung up from the bed and I saw his hand go to his waist. When he realized it was me, he sat back down looking slightly embarrassed.

Next to him on the bed was Jill, whose eyes were swollen and red. I felt my heart clench, almost painfully, at the sight of her looking so miserable. She gave me a weak smile.

"I'm so sor-"

She cut me off.

"Not your fault, Sydney. You don't have to apologize. I'm just being over emotional," she said.

I sighed. "But she still shouldn't have said that. It wasn't professional or polite."

Angeline came out of the bathroom and nodded along to my words.

"You should have that bitch fired. Or whatever it is they do to Alchemists who can't do their job right." Jill shot her a sharp look but Angeline looked unrepentant.

"I don't care if she's your sister, Sydney. She can't go on saying those things, even if she thinks we're damned creatures. None of the Alchemists I've ever met were like that. Sure, they hate us; that's obvious. But they were able to keep a professional demeanor."

I noticed that she used 'their' instead of 'your' when she talked about the Alchemists. I shook my head and focused on the matter on hand.

"I know. I know. I'll have a talk with her. I just came over to see if you were alright?" My last words were directed at Jill.

She nodded meekly. "I'm fine. I don't want to be a nuisance. I'm just sorry that..." She trailed off uncertainly, but I knew what she was going to say. _I'm just sorry that Zoe's here and an Alchemist when you were so determined for her to have a regular life. _

_That makes two of us, Jill,_ I thought sadly.

Angeline yawned. "Well, I'm all for the bitch getting fired."

I looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "Did she say something to you, too?" Angeline seemed to be taking this personal.

"Nothing I haven't heard before. Blood whore, savage, barbarian, etc. She's lucky I didn't hit her but I know that that isn't acceptable here. But if we were back at the Keepers, well. That's an entirely different story."

I gasped. Eddie looked at her disapprovingly while Jill hid a smile.

"Well as long as you're alright, I'll be headed back to my room. I'll talk to Zoe tonight." I said my goodbyes and left.

Eddie followed me out saying he had to go back to the Boys dorm. I suspected he was a bit scared of the formidable Mrs. Weathers but kept my thoughts to myself.

As we were walking to my dorm (Eddie insisted on walking me to my room) he stopped me.

"I know she's your sister and all, but-" he hesitated and then a steely resolve crossed his face. "I will not have her disrespecting her like that again. It's my duty to keep her safe; both physically and emotionally."

I knew that Eddie's intentions were more than him just wanting to protect Jill; he loved her.

"I will talk to her, Eddie. And I'll make it clear that if she can't handle the job that I will have her removed." It pained me to say those words and Eddie's face softened. He reached a hand out and touched my arm in comfort.

"Hey, I do appreciate all that you do for us. And I know that you've had to make some personal sacrifices and I want you to know that it doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated."

I smiled at him gratefully. He gave me a brief hug and walked away. I opened my door and went in, turning on the lights. It seemed like Zoe wasn't back yet, but I'd wait. It was an hour until curfew anyways.

Seeing as I had nothing to do, I called Adrian. He didn't pick up which made me worry. He always picked up. Nonetheless, I left a brief message and hung up. Then i sighed and sat down on my bed, pulling the book out from underneath.

I flipped to the page that had the "Anima Transuero" spell and looked into it a bit more. It was a surprisingly easy spell and required minimal ingredients. Unfortunately, it seemed to take a lot of mental effort. I thought back onto the location spell I did a few moths ago when a Moroi, Sonya Karp, was kidnapped. That spell had left me nearly unconscious and took hours of mental strain on my part.

But there was something intriguing and alluring about this particular spell. It didn't say what it did exactly, like the Callistana spell from a few days ago, but the little excerpt was promising.

_"This spell has helped many young witches in times of need. It has protection and unlimited resources at your disposal"_

I knew Alicia was still out there and this spell seemed like the perfect one to help me. I knew Ms. Terwilliger would approve of me doing magic on my own; she was the one that gave me the book after all.

I was mentally calculating how much time I would need and what time I should get up to do the spell when Zoe came in, slamming the door behind her. She walked over to her bed and collapsed but I wasn't letting her go that easily. I put the book away and stood up.

"Zoe, I know you don't like them but I will not permit you talking to the princess that way." I never was one to beat around the bush.

She stood up so fast that I barely saw her move.

"But I can't!" She screamed so loud that even she looked shocked. She lowered her voice considerably. "I hate having to sit in the same classes as them and act like there's nothing wrong. Can't you see how sick and wrong it is? I told you last night and I'm telling you again: They're monsters that are playing at being human and it's disgusting and wrong."

I wanted to scream and let all my frustrations out. Instead, I regarded her coolly and said calmly, "If you can't handle the job, I could talk to Stanton and have you replaced. I need someone subjective and level headed, not some little girl that hitches a fit because she's scared."

The words were mean and she paled. I hated doing it but some things needed to be done. She gulped and I saw that her hands were shaking.

"No, I don't want to- I want to stay with you. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have said that, even though it's surprising that evil creatures of the night could even have feelings. I'll..." She seemed to wage some mental battle and then sighed. "I'll apologize to her, first thing tomorrow."

That I was not expecting. I kept my expressions schooled though, and went to bed. I set my alarm two hours earlier that I normally woke up and slipped under the covers.

Long after I heard Zoe's snores, I was still awake. My body was exhausted but my mind was wide awake. I kept thinking about her words.

_It's surprising that evil creatures of the night could even have feelings. _

The words tumbled through my head and I kept getting more and more upset about them. They weren't true. I thought of Jill, who was always smiling even though she had _died_, and then come back to life. I thought of Angeline who burned so brightly of life and energy, that it was impossible to think of her as evil. Though she was definitely not innocent, by any means. And then I thought of Eddie who was so fiercely devoted and protective of those he cared about.

Lastly, I thought of Adrian. His very essence breathed life. He felt so deeply that I sometimes found myself wishing that I could have that ability, that capacity, to feel. And how he transported all his emotions-anger, grief, love, happiness, and humor- into his artwork. It was astounding.

It was awe inspiring.

Then I thought of the Alchemists who were so cold and distant. My father, Jared Sage, was a prime example of an exemplary Alchemist. Hard working, cold calculation and a distant attitude. That was how all Alchemists were supposed to be and it made me sick to my stomach. Did I use to be that way? I shove the disturbing thought from my mind and will myself to sleep.

It becomes apparent that I won't be sleeping anytime soon, so instead, I got up quietly and began to gather all the materials I would need for the spell. Then I grab the book and walk out stealthily as I can out the door. I head down the narrow hallway and go into one of the unused classrooms. I do a simple lock spell on the door and set my things on a nearby desk.

There's enough moonlight streaming in through the windows that I can make out everything. I set to work getting lost in the rhythmic feel of cutting up different kinds of herbs. Once I have it all set, I put it all on my head. I close my eyes and mutter the incantation that I already learned by memory.

Nothing happens for a long while, but I'm not discouraged. I just empty my mind as best I can and do my best to summon the magic in me. After what seems like hours, I feel the magic stir. But it's something different this time, not the usual warmth I feel when using my magic. It's a numb chilling cold that surrounds me and for a moment, I can't breath.

Then it's gone and I'm lying on the floor. I sit up shakily as I wondered what happened. I felt fine now. And yet, I couldn't help but remember the ice cold feelings in my vein. Did I imagine that? Or maybe I'm sleep deprived.

Yes, that's it. That had to be it.

I gather up my things and feel something liquid run down my mouth and chin. I bring my hand to my lips and I could see the blood glistening in the moonlight.

It's nothing, I tell myself. I just used too much magic and it took a lot out of me. That sounded reasonable.

When I made it back to my room, I went to the bathroom to wash myself up. As I looked up at the mirror, I saw my eyes turn a brilliant gold and then it was gone.

A trick of the light, I thought as I made my way sleepily to my bed. The recent events were already fading as I drifted off to sleep.

However, it became apparent that I wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight as I felt myself get tugged into a Spirit dream.

**Please Read and Review. Sorry, I took so long. I didn't know how to end it. **

**And Adrian will be in the next chapter, so don't worry. **


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